Technology / Cell Phones Glossary

Airtime: Actual time spent talking on the cellular telephone. Most carriers bill customers based on how many minutes of airtime they use each month. Airtime charges during peak periods of the day var . . . View Full Definition

Alphanumeric: A message or other type of readout containing both letters (alphas) and numbers (numerics). In cellular, alphanumeric memory dial is a special type of dial-from-memory option that displays b . . . View Full Definition

American Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA): A Washington, D.C.-based trade group representing specialized mobile radio operators.

American National Standards Institute (ANSI): A private, non-profit organization that oversees the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. The Institute's mission is to enhance both the global competitiveness of . . . View Full Definition

Analog: A signaling method that uses continuous changes in the amplitude or frequency of a radio transmission to convey information. It relies on a continuous (rather than pulsed as in digital) elec . . . View Full Definition

Antenna: A wire or set of wires used to send and receive radio waves.

Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC): An integrated circuit tailored for a particular piece of electronic equipment.

Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO): Trade group headquartered in South Daytona, Fla., representing law enforcement, fire, emergency services and other public-safety agency dispatchers and communications employees.

Attenuation: The loss of signal energy due to absorption, reflection, or diffusion during transmission.

Authentication: The verification process to assure that a wireless device and its user are compatible with and authorized to access a wireless network. This process is accomplished through transmission of i . . . View Full Definition

Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL): Combining a location-sensing device (such as a GPS receiver) with a wireless communications link to provide a home office or dispatcher with the location of a vehicle or mobile asset (such a . . . View Full Definition

Average Revenue Per Unit (ARPU): Measures the average monthly revenue generated for each customer unit, such as a cellular phone or pager, that a carrier has in operation.

B Block: In early 1981, the FCC announced that it would approve two licenses in each market- a non-wireline company (which became known as the A side carrier), and a wireline company (the B side carrier).

B Carrier: Most areas of the US have two cellular carriers, each of which operates on a different frequency band. One is designated the A carrier and the other is designated the B carrier. In some mark . . . View Full Definition

Bandwidth: The capacity of a telecom line to carry signals. A greater bandwidth indicates the ability to transmit a greater amount of data over a given period of time.

Base Station: The central radio transmitter-receiver that maintains communications with mobile radiotelephone sets within a given range (typically a cell site).

Base Station Controller (BSC): The part of the wireless system's infrastructure that controls one or multiple cell sites' radio signals, thus reducing the load on the switch. Performs radio signal management functions for . . . View Full Definition

Base Transceiver Station (BTS): The name for the antenna and radio equipment necessary to provide wireless service in an area. Also called a base station or cell site.

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